Temperate rainforests used to grow along the damper, western climes of the British Isles but have been largely destroyed over hundreds of years by clearance, grazing and conversion to other uses. They now cover less than 1% of their former range – making them a habitat rarer and more threatened than tropical rainforests. 

Park Gill has fragmented patches of temperate rainforest – as well as limestone grassland, caves and streams. It is known for its rare wildflowers such as bird’s-eye primrose, mountain everlasting and grass-of-Parnassus, and rare animals such as short-eared owls have already been spotted on-site. 

Jono Leadley, North Regional Manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, says:

“We are very grateful to the support of Aviva and the United Bank of Carbon which has enabled us to purchase our new Park Gill nature reserve We hope this beautiful site will be a haven for wildlife and a beautiful place for people to enjoy.

“Temperate rainforest is a particularly rare habitat in Yorkshire, with only a few tiny patches scattered in sheltered pockets in the western Dales, and this new reserve gives us a great opportunity to restore and expand this fantastic habitat.

“Woodland is at a premium in this part of the Dales, and species such as black grouse which cling on in the area will also benefit from more berry-bearing bushes such as hawthorn in the landscape. This new reserve promises to be a vital oasis for wildlife in the Dales, and we cannot wait to see what wildlife it attracts as a result.”

Claudine Blamey, Chief Sustainability Officer, Aviva, says: 

“Aviva is proud to play its part in the restoration of temperate rainforests in Yorkshire, especially given our longstanding connections with the region, where we employ over 4,000 people. The work from the Wildlife Trusts will add to the area’s natural beauty and cultural heritage, as well as providing flood resilience, helping communities get ready for the future.”

Careful survey work over the coming year will ensure that trees are planted in the right place to ensure that species-rich grasslands are protected, along with areas where wading birds such as curlew nest. Areas of woodland planted in the steep, shady valleys on site will have cool, humid conditions which, with time, may lead them to develop characteristics of temperate rainforest. Temperate rainforest typically has a high number of mosses, lichens and liverworts, small plants that can cover tree trunks and branches and carpet the floor, along with a range of ferns and other plants. 

The Trust will also be carefully managing the areas of limestone grassland that support the reserve’s rare limestone wildflowers, in the hope that in time these will expand across much of the grassland area. 

Rainforests of the British Isles are temperate rainforests, which means they grow in areas that have high rainfall and humidity, and a low annual variation in temperature. They are also known as Atlantic woodland or Celtic rainforest. Tree species include sessile oak, birch, rowan, holly, alder, willow and hazel. They can provide a home to red squirrels, and pine martens, and threatened birds like wood warblers, redstarts, and pied flycatchers.